Aston Villa target Charlie Austin could fire them to promotion

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Aston Villa are reportedly interested in signing Southampton attacker Charlie Austin.

According to the Telegraph, Villa, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Galatasaray are all keen on the 29-year-old centre-forward.

It is understood that the Englishman will leave Southampton during the January transfer window to enjoy regular first-team football elsewhere.

The report details he has agreed with the Saints that he will be offloaded at the right price after slipping down the pecking order at St Mary’s.

Austin would be a gamble signing for any team given his injury problems throughout his career, but this season fitness has not been an issue and he’s scored three times in 18 games.

He is a prolific goalscorer when he’s on form and would give Dean Smith’s side a major lift if he ended up at Villa.

Austin has previously shown his quality in the Championship, scoring 66 goals in just 129 games in the second-tier of English football.

He is a deadly finisher inside the penalty area and strong in the air, while at his age he should be in the peak years of his career.

Villa do have on-loan sensation Tammy Abraham as their first-choice striker, but there has been little support in terms of goals from the rest of the team and another goalscorer would massively help.

Smith’s team are seven points adrift of the play-off positions right now, but Austin is the type of signing that could spark a winning run to drag the club into the promotion picture and there would be the potential for a deadly partnership next to Abraham.